"Kaori… has the Hokage been treating you well?"
Bursting into Konoha in a fluster, Minamoto Kazuhiko barely paused to catch his breath before making a courtesy visit to Uchiha Shihō. After circling around wedding details and confirming the dowry, he hurried straight to find Minamoto Kaori, now working inside the Hokage Tower.
Her new position as the Hokage's secretary pleased him immensely.
Kaori also needed to deliver official documents to the Fire Daimyō, so they met in a small conference room on the tower's first floor. Kazuhiko steadied his breathing, then immediately began tugging at her emotions.
"Your 'darling' is a good man."
Kaori's blood-jade eyes rested on him calmly, giving away nothing. Kazuhiko had never shown her warmth before—yet now he wore a mask of deep concern.
Back in the palace, princes and princesses were cheap, replaceable. The Daimyō had many wives, countless children, and a girl as delicate and quiet as Kaori was often overlooked. Only her cats had ever stayed by her side.
Feeling her distance, Kazuhiko's displeasure simmered, but he swallowed it quickly. His smile only softened further as he continued his act—until he finally revealed why he had really come.
"The tragedy in the Land of Lightning deeply grieved Father. I came today not only to finalize your wedding, but to ask whether you could arrange for some Uchiha shinobi to guard the Daimyō's palace. We cannot risk another attack."
Kaori blinked. "Why not simply submit a mission request through Konoha?"
Kazuhiko sighed bitterly. "After such a heinous incident—shinobi murdering a Daimyō—how can Father trust ordinary ninja again? Only the Uchiha, now tied to us by marriage, can ease his fears."
Kaori nodded. "Chief Shihō assigned four guard units to me. I can deploy two to the palace in rotating shifts."
In Konoha, surrounded by Uchiha elites and watched over by Uzumaki Mito and Uzumaki Minako, Kaori rarely needed additional protection. Four elite guard teams were excessive—so if someone wanted to pay to maintain them, she found it perfectly reasonable.
"Payment will follow the standard A-rank mission rate," she added.
Kazuhiko agreed immediately. Kaori then shifted to material support, and he accepted even faster.
"Once I return, all necessary supplies will be prepared at once. If you fear delays, another guard unit may supervise the delivery. And if anything remains insufficient, send word—Father fully supports Konoha's expansion."
Seeing his sincerity, Kaori spoke gently:
"My darling said some vassal shinobi clans are also trustworthy. If you're short on manpower, you may take the guard squad and recruit them."
Kazuhiko's eyes lit up. True loyalty was priceless—and money was never a problem for him.
As their discussion ended, he casually brought up the news:
"Kaori, do you know the Hokage's views on the current situation in the Land of Fire?"
"I'm not sure of the details," Kaori answered, serene as ever. "But my darling intends to greatly strengthen Konoha."
Kazuhiko studied her expression, then left—first to the Uchiha compound to file Kaori's request, then to rally vassal clans.
Backed by gold and the Uchiha name, the force he gathered was impressive—strong enough to rival Sunagakure's weakest divisions. Under Soren's distant gaze, the assembled shinobi marched grandly out of Konoha.
"It seems our Daimyō is feeling uneasy," Soren remarked.
Hearing this, Uzumaki Mito lifted her head, concern flickering in her eyes. "My Hokage… does that mean you've come up with another 'interesting' idea?"
"Relax. The Land of Fire is Konoha's foundation. The rest of the world can burn—but not here."
"I'm not a barbarian from the Land of Lightning. And since my wife is the Daimyō's daughter, as long as he continues supporting Konoha, I won't push too far."
Mito finished writing the official decree and handed it over. "Once we take the Land of Lightning and turn it into the Unordered Zone, we may send this to the other villages."
The Daimyō matter was merely a detour. Soren unfolded the document and read it line by line.
"The phrasing is too gentle. Make it clearer and simpler."
Mito let out a soft sigh as she returned to her seat, expression shifting into something almost resentful—like a noble lady burdened with tedious chores.
Soren paused, then stepped closer. Leaning in, he caught the faint, elegant fragrance that always clung to her.
"Hokage-sama!"
The sudden closeness startled her. She scooted back—only for Soren's expression to shift from surprise to smug amusement.
"My dear Secretary Mito… you're already a grandma. You don't actually think I harbor any unspeakable intentions toward you, do you?"
"…Grandma?"
A vein bulged on Mito's forehead. Her hands tensed. She often joked about being old—but hearing it from someone else was another matter entirely.
Her phoenix-shaped eyes sharpened, and a chilling aura rose behind her.
She smiled sweetly—far too sweetly.
"Hokage-sama, I seem to have misheard you. Were you… sleep-talking?"
"If you're still half-asleep, you may go home and rest. After all, your main job appears to be drinking tea."
"If you dislike the Uchiha's tea, the Senju tea leaves taste quite good."
"The Senju tea really is excellent," Soren mused. "But all I can do is smell it. The Uchiha tea is much fresher… more tender."
Mito frowned, sensing something off but unable to pinpoint it. She huffed softly.
"I need to work. Please don't disturb me, busy Hokage-sama."
"I'll watch from here. If there's anything to correct, I'll do it immediately—saves us the trouble of rewriting later."
This time, when Soren leaned closer again, Mito didn't pull away. Instead, she lifted her chin proudly, baring her pale, graceful neck. The front of her kimono traced a delicate curve.
(I, Uzumaki Mito, am eternally a maiden of eighteen!)
Feeling the young Hokage's gaze on her, a wave of satisfaction—and a dangerous flutter—bloomed in her chest.
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